we.R.play talks to IGN Pakistan

The studio explains it has nothing against cats.

By
Noman Ansari

In only five years, we.R.play has developed a reputation as one of the most respected game development studios in Pakistan and a fun place to be employed at. The studio has worked with partners such as PocketGems, Zynga, RockYou, Kiwi, Disney Interactive, Namco Bandai, amongst others, and boasts games that have been downloaded millions of times.

Let's learn more about them.

So, where are you guys located?

we.R.play is located at 1-9/3, scrunched between a feed factory and the utility store. When the smell of spices begins to overpower you (haldi zindabad!), you know you’re here.

Uhhh... OK. So what was the goal of starting weRplay?

we.R.play was founded to create a fun, creative environment for gamers and artists alike where they could get together and pool in their talent without feeling restricted by the usual office bureaucracy.

And how many people work at we.R.play?

As of now, there are currently over a hundred members. While most of our team is in Islamabad, we also have teammates across the globe with a handful working in Lahore, Indonesia, USA, New Zealand, and India.

What are some of the games we.R.play has worked on?

Our most popular title (in Pakistan) is the desi endless runner, Run Sheeda Run. Globally two of our titles, Lost Twins and Dream Chaser (Chillingo published), have each been downloaded over 1.5 million times across multiple platforms. Other original titles include Relief Copter, Pencil Pop, Space Leap, RoboQuest, (PocketGems published), Beat Leap, Scuba Steve and FotoFinish (NamcoBandai Published).

We’ve also got two projects in the pipeline; Explottens and Funny Wings, along with a top secret VR title that is currently in development.

How was the feedback like regarding Run Sheeda Run?

Absolutely overwhelming! We’ve got a 4.5 rating on the Google Play Store and over 131K likes on Facebook, but what matters more is the fact that Pakistanis everywhere are loving the depiction of our culture!

Yes, RSR is always evolving and that’s why we’re always looking forward to what people have to say about it. Recently, we drew a tribute to Abdul Sattar Edhi that went viral. It was touching to see.

Will Sheeda eventually stop running?

Like Usain Bolt on a Red Bull binge, Sheeda isn’t stopping anytime soon. In fact, we’ve got many future plans for him including stories about parallel universes, spin-off comics, and of course, games galore!

There are lots of inside jokes for Pakistanis. How much fun did you guys have adding cultural references?

We had an absolute blast because there was so much to work with! Pakistan has such a rich culture that it was hard not to cash in, starting from our food, to our lingo, and our daily habits. Taking examples from our daily lives, or popular instances, it’s hard not to use them as comedic material; stuff like the iconic ‘Chappal,’ which is such a huge part of our culture.

Let's talk about Explottens. Do you guys have something against cats? Should we call Peta?

You know the saying? When you love something, just blow it up? No? Ah well. But for record, we’re avid cat lovers at here. Explottens is a testament to that as it combines planes and cats and explosions!

The game looks like a lot of fun, but there seem to be a lot of dead cats.

Dead cats? No, no, they’re merely gone on vacation!

What inspired the final look of these cute felines?

The game was named Exploding Skies at first and from the beginning we had planned to make a game full of explosions and destruction. Cats were incorporated later on to target two audiences: Those who spend time on Pinterest looking at cat pictures and those who would love to see some kittens exploding!

Tell us about this new game Funny Wings. What is it about?

Funny Wings is basically about us just having fun and going along with the most out there idea we had; a game about a kleptomaniac witch who steals an aspiring treasure hunter/magician’s magical pouch. An endless chaser, except it takes place in the sky, Funny Wings deals in magic, portals to and from other worlds and a colorful array of characters like a flying Ox that travels using rainbows and a klutzy hot headed aviator. With a main character called El Diablo, you can get what we were aiming for!

What does the future hold for we.R.play?

We’re just going to continue on our path and have fun doing what we love which is making games!

Any advice for Pakistanis interested in video game development?

Google and practice are your two best friends so don’t think and just starting making games! Any language, game engine, and no matter how simple it is; make a game. The trick is not to wait for the perfect game idea. Practice, practice, until you master the art because the gaming industry is pretty cut throat and you’ll need all the practice you can get! So broaden your skillsets and go for it! Don’t just learn programming languages or game engines; learn game concepts, 2D and 3D both. Learn the essence of gaming by immersing yourself in different genres, because as a gaming programmer you’ve got to know little bit about everything.

The industry here is still small but right now (though it’s well on its way), but the biggest pro to that is how you can get the chance to know other game developers; learn from them.